Huchuy Qosqo Day Hike
Description
Huchuy Qosqo was a town located at more than 3,550 m.s. on a small plateau at the top of a mountain. From here you can take beautiful views of the other side of the valley, it is possible to appreciate snow-capped mountains of exuberant beauty such as the snow-capped Pitusiray and at the bottom of this privileged view, the town of Calca.
It is known by the chroniclers that it was the Inca Wiracocha who ordered the construction of the city of Huchuy Qosqo; it is said that in his old age, he felt tired and wished to leave the government and move away from the movement of the capital of the Tahuantinsuyo empire (Cusco) and seek peace and tranquility in this place; it is built on a territory occupied by several human settlements, over time, these would be dominated and incorporated into the empire of the Incas. One of these settlements must have been on Huchuy Qosqo. The structures also have an architectural distribution similar to Cusco, so it has been called Huchuy Qosqo or small Cusco at the beginning of the twentieth century.
A characteristic of this architectural ensemble is the use of lithic material in combination with adobe and mud, as it demonstrates the knowledge and mastery of the construction materials used with high technology, especially adobe; the exposed walls constructed with this noble material, still defy the strong climatic inclemencies, the telluric movements and the inevitable passage of time
What to Expect
Quick Itinerary:
5:30 Pick you up from the hotel and transfer to Chinchero where you will appreciate the Archeological Complex of Chinchero and a living height of the Andean textile
7:00 Reach the Community of Tauca where you will appreciate the lagoon of Piuray
7:30 Start our walk until we reach the first Abra de Pucajasa (4,100 masl) for 10 minutes
7:40 Descend in approximately 1 hour 50 to the Archaeological Complex of Huchuy Qosqo
9:30 Visit to the Archaeological Complex for two hours of visit.
11:30 Continue our walk of a descent with a spectacular view of the Sacred Valley of the Incas to the district of Lamay for 1 hour and 30 minutes
13:00 Return to the city of Cusco in our transport for 45 minutes.
Useful Information
Distance to travel: 14 km
Walking Time: From 7 to 8 hours including rest and stop for lunch.
Maximum Height: 4,393 meters above sea level
Difficulty: Moderate and with drops
Temperature: cold, with winds in the afternoon
Itineray Details
Full Day Tour
Pick up from your hotel and go to our starting point, the Piuray lagoon, located near the town of Chinchero. We start our walk early in the morning so we can appreciate the sunlight falling on the snowy 'Veronica' and the whole Vilcabamba mountain range.
Our trek will be ascending at the beginning and then descending towards the high plateau, with impressive views of the snow-capped mountains on our way to the archaeological site of Huchuyqosqo. This place was a palace in Inca time, it has large structures made of stone and adobe built on the top of the mountain, with the sky as background and streams on both sides.
After a short rest under the shade of the trees of Queñua (Andean oak) and enjoying our lunch, we will continue our walk through the open field and then zigzag downhill on one side of the mountain. Our transport awaits us in the town of Lamay to take us back to Cusco. During this walk, we will not meet other tourists, only with farmers working their land and their children playing freely around. If you want to experience the true Andean culture, this tour is the ideal one.